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SUPER CRAZY steering issue

2K views 15 replies 5 participants last post by  red4x4 
#1 ·
Ive never heard of this before.

-I drive to friends to pick up sofa and the steering in "normal"(its has a little slop to it)

-When I leave its crab walking.(how can a solid axel leafspring truck crab walk? Does this mean my rear axel moved?)

-I pull over to check steering. I shake and pull on both tie rods and they dont move. I lift the hood and twist the steering shaft and it moves about a third of a rotation. Is this the problem?

-I get back in and start rolling and its not crab walking(goes straight) but the steering wheel is 30*-35* to the left. So its driving normal again the ONLY change is the steering wheel position.

-I back up and unload the sofa then when I pull out to park my truck the steering is straight again with no crab walk.

-Then I drive to work 3 hours later and the wheel back to 30*-35* to the left but still just as "tight" as when it was in the center with no crab walk.

So what the hell could be the problem?

Steering shaft?
Tie rods?
Rear axel pop out then back in?(I did have issues getting the U-bolt on the passengers side to sit on the U-bolt pad on top of the leaf spring. Its wanted to move forward. I think I tightend then uneven)
 
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#2 ·
Ok so I found at least PART of the problem. After thinking about what I would take for it to go crab lagged. I thought that the only way for that to happen is for the rear axel to move.

.....I was right. :bawl: the shim to correct the axel pinion is half way out and the center pin for the leaf spring is almost touching the rear U-bolt. So it moved. Shouldent be a issue to fix. Ill just have a local 4x4 shop to drop the axel and replace the the U-bolts and line up the blocks(factory) shims and springs.

I still dont know whats going on with the steering wheel thou.
 
#3 ·
after thinking about it more. If the axel is shifting back and forth it would cause my steering to move. Man I hope that is the only issue and I can get away with not changeing my Tie rods to the HD ones for a few weeks.
 
#4 ·
I am with you thinking the rear axle like you found out. I find it is best to not think about it fix what you know is wrong then go from there. The steering was probably already like that but due to the axle you started noticing things more.
 
#8 ·
I was at work when I figured it out so when I got off (0800 so the traffic was light) I walked her home slow(1 1/2 to two blocks away). AAA came with a flat bed and now she is in the shop. It could have been really bad but I guess I got really lucky. Wheew.

instead of using the shim, why dont you find a block that is already angled so you wont have to worry about it slipping out?
Know where I could get one? I couldent. One with a 1in lift build in would be best.

i had an old ford w/ a 8" lift and meaty tires. when this problem came up, it was the steering gear box pullin out/ breaking bolts. check the gear box mount bolts. if your lifted buy a gear box brace.
did that a while ago. Next step is the Borgeson steering shaft then HD cross over steering. If that dont fix the steering im going to try and find a PSC gearbox.
 
#6 ·
i had an old ford w/ a 8" lift and meaty tires. when this problem came up, it was the steering gear box pullin out/ breaking bolts. check the gear box mount bolts. if your lifted buy a gear box brace.
 
#9 ·
Xtreme Motorsports in right next to my buddys shop so i always go there for blocks and parts. but from what i have experienced, most blocks are shimmed. if not put your block in a vice and grind it down so its shimmed. that way you wont have to worry about spitting your shim out.
 
#10 ·
Think if I really need to ill just weld a small plate the the back side of the stock block to make a lip.
 
#11 ·
Didn't know psc made a gear box. pse used to but dosen't anymore try searching redhead steering gears and buy one of theres it is way better than a rebuild and I think better than stock as they mill the shaft and put bearing on to make everything tighter than factory
 
#12 ·
Well PSC at least DID make a gearbox and it seems really cool but I cant find it. I was hopeing I could get my hands on one some how if it came to that.

http://4wheeloffroad.automotive.com/75256/131-0806-1994-2002-dodge-ram-steering-upgrade/index.html

But about what going on with my truck. I got the rear axel fixed(put longer spring pack bolts in that extend down into the OEM block). Now my steering is back to being as tight as when I first put on my BD brace so...holy shit ive been driving around with a loose axel!!!!! That could have been really really really bad but I guess im really really really lucky.

Also that plate that I talked about is not needed as well as the block with the 5* built in due to the longer spring pack bolt(that is the OEM set up).
 
#13 ·
Ok if you have a body lift don't buy the borgeson shaft I hate mine it is brand new anyone want to buy so I can go to a new stoker with the body lift extension. Yes they did make a box I read about it in a magazine and called them as soon as I read the mag but they had discontinued it so if you find one it is a used one or one that has been on a shelf.
 
#15 ·
straight bolt on? How do you like it and does it keep the stock steering ratio or can you change it? Ive never seen or heard of the PSE box just the PSC.


Ok if you have a body lift don't buy the borgeson shaft I hate mine it is brand new anyone want to buy so I can go to a new stoker with the body lift extension. Yes they did make a box I read about it in a magazine and called them as soon as I read the mag but they had discontinued it so if you find one it is a used one or one that has been on a shelf.
What do you hate about the steering shaft? I have it on the shelf right now waiting for me to install it when it get a little warmer. Your kinda scareing me, I paid real good money for it. eek
 
#16 ·
Typo I was talking about PSC . Its a straight bolt on, same ratio. The exact box as in the 4 wheel off road article PN SG-841M but it is listed as a Chevy.
When I needed a steering gear I went to their site and found they did not offer for dodges any more, then I searched for the part number from the article and found it in the chevy section. I then called them and they then told me they didn't do Dodges anymore. Only after I asked if the SG-841M was the Dodge part did they tell me it was. It was ordered, installed and all is good.
 
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